Who knew?
by blackened raven wings
Summary: SongFic. Bangel. Based on Who Knew? by P!nk.


Buffy sat in the Bronze, looking out over at her friends who were dancing with their respective sweeties. Anya hadn't come back, and Cordelia had forgiven Xander eventually, so Xander and Cordelia were grinding in a far corner, and Oz was on a break tonight, so he and willow were dancing in their own little world. None of them paid attention to anything but each other, so they were oblivious to the song pouring from the speakers.

_You took my hand  
You showed me how  
You promised me you'd be around  
Uh huh  
That's right  
I took your words  
And I believed  
In everything  
You said to me  
Yeah huh  
That's right_

Buffy froze. This story sounded familiar. She smirked grimly to herself. Memories of Angel washed over her. Kissing for the first time, when he first said he loved her, the claddagh ring.

Each was like a slap in the face, and she wanted nothing more then for the song to stop and for him to be there, holding her again. But she had to be realistic. It would never

happen._  
_

_If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone   
I'd stand up and punch them up  
Cause they're all wrong  
I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew  
_

Everyone else knew, that's who. Buffy giggled drunkenly at the little rhyme in her head. No one knew that what she held was not water. She didn't mind the burning, so she slowly sipped at it, letting the memories wash over one final time.

'No more. Never again.' She promised herself. After tonight, she wouldn't think about him at all. She wouldn't fall in love again, because that just left you open to pain, and she couldn't deal with that anymore. Not emotional pain. Physical was a given in her line of work, but she would spare herself all the pain she could.

_Remember when we were such fools  
And so convinced and just too cool  
Oh no  
No no  
I wish I could touch you again  
I wish I could still call you friend  
I'd give anything _

Buffy knew they would never be friends. There was too much passion. She didn't even ask if he could stay in the friend capacity. She would never be able to handle it. She needed his comfort and love. Seeing him and not being able to have it would be too much, so she hadn't even bothered asking. She was a fool to think that their forbidden love could have lasted. He would have left eventually, when she was older and not as young. Assuming she even made it to an age where that's possible.

_When someone said count your blessings now  
For they're long gone  
I guess I just didn't know how  
I was all wrong  
They knew better  
Still you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew_

Buffy never really understood why people said "Count your blessings." But now she did. Everyone knew they're relationship was doomed, even they did, but they did it anyway. Then the mayor pointed it out, and her mother confessed to talking to Angel about it.

Buffy slammed her fist down on the table. He told her forever, he gave her the claddagh ring. Despite what he thought, he knew what the ring meant. He had placed it on her left hand, heart pointing towards her. That meant eternal commitment. Tears fell from her eyes and she sniffed back a sob.

_Yeah yeah  
I'll keep you locked in my head  
Until we meet again  
Until we   
Until we meet again  
And I won't forget you my friend  
What happened_

If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong and  
That last kiss  
I'll cherish  
Until we meet again   
And time makes  
It harder  
I wish I could remember  
But I keep  
Your memory  
You visit me in my sleep  
My darling   
Who knew  
My darling  
My darling  
Who knew  
My darling  
I miss you  
My darling  
Who knew  
Who knew

Buffy laid her head down on the table she sat at. They knew. They had known all along. This pain was inevitable. So why did they do it? Why did they do something they knew would cause pain and misery later?

Buffy was interrupted from her musings by a hand on her shoulder. Lifting her head, she turned to see Willow behind her with an excited smile on her face.

"Buffy, look! The door." Buffy turned, not knowing what to expect. But whatever it was, it had certainly not been this.

"Angel?" Angel stood at the door, looking straight at her with a look of pain on his face. He made his way towards her, and when he reached her table, he pulled her into his arms.

"Buffy. I can't do it. I'm sorry, I love you." He kissed her then, long and deep and passionate. He held her as if the world was ending, and he kissed her as if his life depended on it. When he let her go, they made their way to the dance floor, and danced forever.

"Buffy, Buffy? Buffy!" Willow poked Buffy awake. Sitting up, Buffy looked first from her friend to the door, then put her head back on the table before her friends saw the tears come again.

"Buffy, what' wrong?" Willow looked concerned.

"I had another dream. He came back and told me he was sorry and he loved me and he couldn't leave me and he kissed me. Wil, I can't believe he's really gone. I feel like I'm dying. Please, make it stop." He burst into tears and fell into Xander's arms, who had come to comfort his friend. She shook with the sobs, and her breath came in body raking gasps.

Willow felt something and looked up. Directly above her, was Angel. Her eyes widened and then she glared. He just stood there, with a pained expression, looking at his love. Then, his eyes looked to Willow before locking gazes with her.

His face seemed to tell the whole story. He needed to leave, so he could live a close to a normal life. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't leave her. Not when he saw the damage he was inflicting.

Willow just shook her head. Xander watched her, then followed her gaze. He stiffened when he saw Angel, then handed his sobbing friend to Willow before making his way up to the cause of Buffy's pain.

He reached Angel in record time, and before Angel knew what was happening, Xander had dragged him away from the railing to a corner where they could talk.

"Listen man, you are either going to stay and be with her, or you are going to have to face everyone who loves Buffy and we will make you leave without her knowing. She is in serious pain, and you just stand here and watch. Now I realize you can kill me in an instant, but this is Buffy we're talking about, so I'm willing to take that risk. Now, you either get your big, disappearing ass down there and give her the love she disserves and wants from you, or you leave 5 minutes ago. Got it, Dead Boy?"

Angel just looked at him He never knew the boy had it in him. He let the name slide, and ran down to his love. He never ran unless it was for a fight, and now he was fighting for his love.

Willow saw him coming, and turned Buffy around, so the broken girl was watching the stairs.

"Angel?" She asked, her voice broken and cracking, looking at him in shock. "Am I dreaming. Because if I am, just leave. I don't want to wake up and find-" She was cut off by Angel kissing her. A slow, passionate kiss that said everything she needed to know; this was not a dream, and he was not leaving.

He wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with everything in her. Things would be alright. They had to be.


End file.
